Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs to find an ominous puddle coming from the dishwasher is never a great to start the day.

Fortuitously, most simple causes of dishwasher leaks are comparably straightforward to diagnose and fix by yourself. Meaning you might not be required to hand wash the dishes for too long, call an engineer or need to pay the call-out fee.

So, if you’re feeling up to it get out the instruction manual if you know where it is, clean up the mess and get a towel clean up any further spills and so see whether you can’t fix the problem. If you can’t call us for local dishwasher repair.

Everyday Explanations of Dishwasher Leaks as well as How to Mend Them

Many of the most commonplace explanations of dishwasher faults aren’t in fact because of a dishwasher fault at all. Prior to starting preparing yourself for an engineering task and also flicking through numerous online tutorials there are a couple of issues you should troubleshoot first.

Test to see whether your dishwasher is aligned. If your dishwasher is not level water can easily puddle and spill out even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Check you have been using the right detergent. You could have seen this with your washer. Too much soap or the incorrect type can result in an excess of soap suds, the bubbles overflow and you get a spill.
Investigate your dishwasher door fully closes. If it doesn’t there may be an obstruction, or you could need to adjust the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Check the filter located in the bottom of the machine for any obvious obstructions as if your dishwasher isn’t draining correctly this will cause it to fill too much and leak.

If none of the above issues apply it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start a thorough check.

To make your life easier start with the door and check for any obvious damage in the interior of the machine prior to moving on to the underneath. If you can find and so mend the issue before you have to pull out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

Before you do anything else make sure you unplug the appliance.

Door Seal

The door is no doubt the most everyday area for leakage and one of the simplest problems to solve.

If the leak is occasional the problem could be as straightforward as a large plate or another object putting pressure into the door and preventing it from sealing properly.

Otherwise the door gasket might have been dislodged or got split.

Inspect the door gasket and also check for any degradation, a build-up of limescale or other gunk, or any tracts where the gasket has come away from the door.

Taking off the gasket and also giving it a thorough scrub has been known to help in some cases or you might have to purchase a new seal and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The inlet valve can be another everyday issue. This is generally found on the underbelly of the machine which means you will need to unscrew the kick plate and also might have to take off the door cover.

The water inlet valve opens and closes to allow water into the tub at varying parts of the programme. The fill valve could be leaking, evidenced with a slight drip, or it could be damaged thus not operating correctly throughout the programme.

When the water inlet valve doesn’t shut correctly this can lead to the dishwasher overflowing.

Generally these valves cannot be refurbished, which means the whole valve would have to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to fill, drain and also redistribute water along the programme.

Two complications can arise when it comes to hoses.

The gaskets may get damaged or the connections could come loose thus it’s a good idea to check all the connections .
The alternative issue than can easily develop over time is that hoses may be broken or cracked.

If you are able to see that the leak is coming from a hose this will be relatively easy to replace and spare hoses are easy to procure.

Pumps and Gaskets

You are able to visually check the rubber seals that are part of the pumps or motor to see if there is a leak and replace them if there is.

The Float Switch

The float itself or the float switch may be broken resulting in the dishwasher overfilling.

When operating correctly the float will lift up as the water rises until the desired or maximum water level is attained. The tag of the float will then operate the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be causing your issues.

Checking the switch will require a multi-meter although it might be clearly broken in which case replacing it should solve the leak.

Alternative Components that May Cause Leakage

A broken wash arm or support could force water under the door causing leakage. This could likewise often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or faulty tubes may also result in this problem as might a cracked pump cover.

The motor shaft gasket could have degraded causing leakage. This will generally show as leakage coming from underneath the appliance.

Top Tips to Sort Out Your Machine

Spend less by replacing the gasket instead of the whole component. In most situations, you can buy the seal without the rest of the part which saves time as well as money.
Investigate the quick resolutions first. You don’t need to pull the whole dishwasher out if the problem is the soap.
Photograph your progress. This might make your life easier when you come to put the machine back together, show the part you need to a sales person, and also identify the issue to a repair person if needed.
Be careful. Water and electricity do not mix so unplug the machine first.
If in doubt call a repair person.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Trouble Shooting Fails to Disclose or Fix the Leakage

If the cause of the problem is still a mystery the thing you can do is to pull out the dishwasher to get a better look underneath it and also add water to the tub to find out whether the leakage presents itself.

If you are still in the dark your machine could only leak when it’s running. In this instance, your best bet would be to employ a service engineer to determine and mend the leak as there are safety risks of checking for faults with electrical elements exposed.